Run VB6 as a stand-alone programme 3

[rj51cxa]

I am trying to improve my knowledge of Visual Basic, using various programming guides, all of which refer to "starting visual basic" and selecting "Standard.EXE". My computer is running Windows XP and Office 2003, and I can only seem to open VB from within an application such as Access or Excel which are using VB 6.3. However, when I open VB from within one of these applications, I cannot find "Standard.EXE" or anything similar.

Am I missing something here? I want to follow the instructions in the book but I seem to have a problem getting started.

Is there a way of starting VB as a stand alone programme, or should I be approaching the whole problem from a different direction? Any help would be much appreciated.

Best Regards
John

 

[TysonLPrice]

I'm just guessing but from within other applications like Word or Excel your working with VBA not VB. Two similar but different animals.

 

[strongm]

>Am I missing something here?

I think you may be missing actually having VB installed. VB6.3 is not VB; it is VBA

 

[JoeAtWork]

You need the VB6 install CD. Probably the only place you can get one these days is EBay.

 

[rj51cxa]

Thanks to all who replied. I didn't realise that there was a difference between VBA and VB. I'll have to get hold of the VB6 install CD.
Best regards
John

 

[TysonLPrice]

You might want to skip VB 6.0 and go straight to .NET. VB 6.0 will probably be around awhile but it is no longer supported.

 

[strongm]

>VB 6.0 will probably be around awhile but it is no longer supported

Not entirely true. Whilst the IDE is no longer supported, the runtime files remain in support for the lifetime of Vista and Windows Server 2008 (which means they are supported for 10 years after W2K8 ships)

 

[TysonLPrice]

I thought that ended about a month ago?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbrun/ms788708.aspx

 

[strongm]

That link confirms exactly what I just said.

 

[TysonLPrice]

oops...should have read closer. I still maintain if the OP is starting to learn a new language it shouldn't be VB 6.0 if the intent is to be a professional, employed, programmer.

However, I was a professional COBOL programmer for about eighteen years and from the beginning people were saying it was dead or dying. I believe it's still alive an well although not so prevalent in smaller shops.

 

[dilettante]

Cobol is alive in many forms but I wouldn't say it's well.

Generally the only Cobol you see now is legacy stuff ported to a 3rd party "sandboxed Cobol" that runs on Windows or some form of Unix. Sometimes the sandbox is .Net, sometimes it's proprietary.

Most native code Cobol compilers are fading away, though they exist on bigger mainframes yet.

You might want to skip VB 6.0 and go straight to .NET.

Many would differ with you that .Net is a logical path from VB6. ;-)

 

[rj51cxa]

Well, I never thought that such a simple question would spark off such a lengthy debate. I will take a look at .NET.

Thanks for all the help
Best Regards
John

 

[dilettante]

The good news is that VB.Net can be had in freebie forms that are fully usable.

 

[rj51cxa]

I had a look at VB.Net and it seems to be much more complicated than VB6. Its taken me a long time to get to grips with VB6 in its VBA form, so using VB.Net seems to me like learning another language.
Since my main purpose was to further my knowledge of VB6 and VBA, it looks like I'll have to abandon my search and concentrate on VBA, which is already installed.
Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Best Regards
John

 

[dilettante]

Well there is another option.

Go buy Access 2007.

Then download Access 2007 Download: Access Runtime (and then also Access Run Time: Alternative Version if you want to deploy on downlevel systems).

 

[rj51cxa]

What does Access 2007 give me that Access 2003 does not?

 

[strongm]

It gives you the ability to download and freely-restribute the runtime.

You couldn't do that with earlier versions without purchasing additional development kits

 

[dilettante]

Yes, though Access (Office) 2003 actually has that standalone runtime on the CDs you have no license to distribute it without licensing VSTO first. You don't need to use VSTO, but you need the license.

I could have gotten it free from Microsoft a while back and could kick myself for having turned down a copy. They gave it away during the Office 2003 kickoff. It looked sort of weak and retailed for about $400 I think. I heard VSTO 2005 was much better later on, but more like $800 (bundled with VS 2005 though).

There's a VSTA now I believe, to mate with Office 2007, but you don't need it to use/redist the Access 2007 runtime.

 

[dglienna]

VB 6.0 will be supported thru 2023. Many people have requested better Vista compatibility. VB6 runs on all the current* systems, which will be around for a while.

-David
2006, 2007 & 2008 Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (VB)
2006 Dell Certified System Professional (CSP)

 

[strongm]

>VB 6.0 will be supported thru 2023

Where on earth do you get that from?

>Many people have requested better Vista compatibility

They sure have. No signs they're getting it, though.